Ostend Airport, Port of Zeebrugge and Versluys to develop air-sea logistics platform

Belgium’s Ostend-Bruges International Airport, Port of Zeebrugge, and warehousing firm Versluys Logistics, have teamed up to develop a digital freight platform for air and sea logistics.

The platform will offer solutions across the air-sea supply chain and will enhance Belgium’s freight capabilities as a gateway to and from Europe.

Versluys Logistics is currently building a 16,000 sq m warehouse at the airport’s Cargo Village.

Bart Versluys, chief executive of Versluys Groep, the parent company Versluys Logistics, commented: “Due to the corona crisis and the strong growth of e-commerce, the demand for logistics real estate has increased significantly.

“The exclusive agreement we concluded last year with the airport of Ostend-Bruges gives us the unique opportunity to grow into a leading player in this rapidly evolving market segment. After all, high-quality logistics warehouses around airports are extremely popular.

“Following on from this, I am also particularly pleased with the declaration of intent that we signed with the Port of Zeebrugge. This declaration of intent lays the foundations on which we can build a strong global logistics platform in the future.”

Tom Hautekiet chief executive of MBZ – the operator of Port of Zeebrugge, added: “The increasing globalisation has [had] an impact on logistics flows and contributes to the development of new markets. The growing logistics demand means that the role of distribution centers in the vicinity of a multimodal transport network is becoming increasingly essential.

“Our coastal port [creating] a platform together with the airport of Ostend-Bruges makes it possible to create a strategic synergy and to strengthen our region as a concentration area for economic development.”